His House, Stud And Amusements Were Those Of A Baron
Of Old, And Of A Hospitable Irish Gentleman, Spreading Money And Progress
Over The Length And Breadth Of The Land.
At his death, which happened at
Boston in 1842, the insignificant Etchemin settlement, through his
efforts, had materially increased in wealth, size and population.
There
was, however, at his demise, an error in his Government balance sheet of
L100,000 on the wrong side!
Belmont lines the St. Foye heights, in a most picturesque situation. The
view from the east and north-western windows is magnificently grand;
probably one might count more than a dozen church spires glittering in the
distance - peeping out of every happy village which dots the base of the
blue mountains to the north. In 1854 this fine property was purchased by
J. W. Dunscomb, Esq., Collector of Customs, Quebec, who resided there
several years, and sold the garden for a cemetery to the Roman Catholic
Church authorities of Quebec, reserving 400 acres for himself. The old
house, within a few years, was purchased by Mr. Wakeham, the late manager
of the Beauport Asylum. His successful treatment of diseases of the mind
induced him to open, at this healthy and secluded spot, under the name of
the "Belmont Retreat," a private Maison de Sante, where, wealthy
patients are treated with that delicate care which they could not expect
in a crowded asylum. The same success has attended Mr. Wakeham's
enterprise at Belmont which crowned it at Beauport.
AN IRISH EDUCATION IN THE OLDEN TIMES.
Among the old stories handed down in Canadian homes
"In the long nights of winter,
When the cold north winds blow,"
of the merry gatherings and copious feasts of other days, one is told
of a memorable entertainment at Belmont, given a crowd of friends.
Some assert it was the Belmont anniversary dinner of the battle of
Waterloo and bring in of course Blucher, Hougomont! Belle-Alliance and
what not. It is, however, more generally believed among the aged,
judging from the copious libations and kindly toasts drank, that it
partook of a more intimate character and was merely a fete de
famille, to commemorate the safe return of sir John Caldwell's
only son from Ireland, where he had just completed his collegiate
course at Dublin, be that as it may, it unquestionably was meant to
solemnise an important family or national event.
As was wont, in those hospitable times, the "landlord's flowing bowl,"
alas! had been emptied too often. Some of the "Barons of the round
table" were in fact preparing for a timely retreat, before the city
gates should be closed, [263] the genial host soon put a stop to such
a treasonable practice, exclaiming that the sentry would let them pass
at any hour, so they need only follow the Commandant, their fellow
guest, who of course had the countersign, closing his well timed
remarks, by raising his voice and proclaiming in an authoritative tone
"no heel taps here," the stately banquet hall re-echoed with cheers "a
bumper, a bumper," resounded on all sides, "to the future Sir Harry,
who has just completed his Irish education." The future Sir Harry was
soon on his legs, and in a voice mellow with old port, youth and fun,
responded "Friends, fellow countrymen, brothers, (this last expression
was challenged as he was an only son) I am indeed proud of my Dublin
education, we have something, however better before us than a
disquisition on the excellence of the various systems of continental
courses, to be brief, I now challenge any here present to meet me on
the classics, astronomy, the cubic root or glass to glass, you have
your choice." "Glass to glass," they one and all replied. Toasts,
songs, healths of every member of the Royal family, were gone through
with amazing zest as time advanced towards the small hours of the
morning, the guests, one by one disappeared from the banqueting room,
some, alas! under the mahogany, more with the genial commander of the
garrison, whilst the stalwart Irish student, still undaunted and
meeting the foe, glass to glass - a veritable giant, fresher as he went
on.
Old Sir John, a well seasoned diner-out, at last found himself
solitary at his end of the table, whilst his son adorned the other end
defiantly.
Looking round in dismay and fearing, if he continued the healths, to
be unequal to cope with such an intrepid Dublin student, he the last
gave up, flinging himself majestically back in his chair, exclaiming
"D - - n your Irish education!"
HOLLAND FARM.
This estate, which formerly comprised two hundred acres of ground,
extending from the brow of the St. Foye heights to St Michael's Chapel on
the Samoa or St. Lewis road, possesses considerable interest for the
student of Canadian history, both under French and English rule. The
original dwelling, a long high-peaked French structure, stood on an
eminence closer to the St. Foye road than does the present house. It was
built about the year 1740, by a rich Lower Town merchant, Monsieur Jean
Tache [264] who resided there after his marriage in 1742 with Mademoiselle
Marie Anne Jolliet de Mingan, grand-daughter to the celebrated discoverer
of the Mississippi, Louis Jolliet. Monsieur Jean Tache was also Syndic
des Marchands, member of the Supreme Council of Quebec, and ancestor
to Sir. E. P. Tache. He at one time owned several vessels, but his
floating wealth having, during the war of the conquest, become the prize
of English cruisers, the St. Peter street Nabob of 1740, as it has since
happened to some of his successors in that romantic neighbourhood,
- lost his money. Loss of fortune did not, however, imply loss of honour,
as old memoirs of that day describe him, "Homme integre et d'esprit." He
had been selected, in the last year of French rule, to go and lay at the
foot of the French Throne the grievances of the Canadians. About this
time, the St. Foye road was becoming a fashionable resort, Hawkin's
Picture of Quebec calls it "The favorite drive of the Canadian Belle
before the conquest." This is an interesting period in colonial life, but
imperfectly known, - nor will a passage from Jeffery, an old and valued
English writer, illustrative of men, manners and amusements in the Colony,
when it passed over to the English monarch, be out of place:
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